Archives for April 2014

Spring cleaning isn’t just about throwing the windows open and letting the fresh air in. Spring is the time to tackle all those nagging chores. The ones that need to be done to make Spring effortless and fun!

Get your house tidy and organized with cleaning products that won’t break the bank right at your local drugstore.

Quilted Paper Towels
Clean your can opener by “opening” a paper towel. Close the wheel on the edge of a paper towel, close the handles, and turn the crank. The paper towel will clean off the gunk as the wheel cuts through it.
Use as toe spreaders when polishing your nails
Avoid rust from cast iron pots by placing a paper towel in each to absorb any moisture. Store lids separately from the pots, separated by a lining of paper towels.
If you like to sew and are using a sewing machine sometimes grease from the sewing machine can seep onto the fabric. In order to keep that from happening take a paper towel and sew a few lines into the towel to ensure that there is no spillage.
Can be used as a last minute coffee filter
If watching your fat intake, dab your food with a clean paper towel to remove excess grease
If you have curly hair the best thing to use when you dry it is paper towels. Helps to eliminate frizz

Dry Sweeping Cloths
Get rid of the “ring around the tub” issue
Polish counter tops without having to use harsh chemicals
Clean mirrors by wetting down one corner of the cloth and then wiping the rest with the dry side
Cut them in half and make them into dishcloths

Disinfecting Wipes
Clean your cell phone (or any electronic device) to get rid of unwanted dirt and debris that can get on your hands that will cause acne
When you are at the gym take a couple of seconds and use a wipe to clean down a machine before and after use. (even though most gyms require you do that not everyone follows orders this way you know its clean)
If you are constantly on the computer use a wipe to clean down the keys and your mouse. Be sure to do it very gently.
Just like at the gym, when going to the grocery store use a wipe to clean down the handles on the shopping cart
Use one in place of hand sanitizer when in need

Scrub Sponges
Great for cleaning tough baked on messes on your favorite pots and pans
Use one with your favorite foot scrub to keep your feet looking great in between pedi’s
Use as a loofah to clean your body once a week

Fabric Softener Sheets
With it’s static cling, it will help with removing pet hair from furniture
When storing something for a long period of time, place the sheets in boxes cabinets etc to keep your treasures smelling like new
Clean the bugs from your car
Use one in your vents to scent the air that circulates throughout the house
Use one in your pillowcase because the scent is proven to help you sleep better
Tuck a sheet in your chest of drawers to keep that “just washed” smell
If you have stinky feet, place sheets in your shoes to help eliminate bad shoe smell

An iconic perfumer Krigler has launched another unisex fragrance as a tribute to his first one. This fragrance, which was created to suit both men and women is Lieber Moment 214. Krigler Lieber Moment 214 is a luxurious fragrance which opens with fresh top notes of Mongolian grapefruit, aldehyde, and calming lavender. The lavender warms with intensely sensual scents of violet, rose from Italy, and ylang ylang and ends with rich woody base of white musk, enticing vanilla from the Reunion Island and intoxicating patchouli from the Philippines.

This fragrance is a great way to open Spring! New beauty, New life, New love! It is a romantic scent inspired by a love letter between a young woman and her fiance from World War I. You just can’t help feeling passionate while wearing this fragrance. It is a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love while also evoking the opulent excess and beauty of Berlin and Provence in the 1910’s. A fragrance that takes you away not takes your breath away by being overpowering. I love it because it is a soft scent with lavish flare of rich blended fragrances capturing the spirit of the person wearing it. Perfect to wear during the day and into the night. Krigler Lieber Moment 214 is on the top of my perfumer list!

Price 1.7fl.oz: $195.00, 3.4fl.oz: $285.00 Krigler products can be purchased in their boutique located in New York City on West and 58th Street or they have a great sample service online at krigler.com. With a flat fee between $7.50 and $12.50 per sample you can have a sample of their exclusive fragrances shipped directly to you at no shipping cost. All samples are prepared upon order, hand-made and are decanted into vials (1ml) and labeled with the name. You can also order samples from their skincare and bodycare line. This is an incredible and effortless way to evaluate the Krigler products before purchasing them. Thank you Krigler for beautiful products and magnificent service!

March, 2013 (New York, NY) – Big buns are everywhere and are the perfect go-to look for the upcoming wedding/prom season, because it’s a sleek polished style that can literally be created in minutes on very long hair. Geneva Cowen for Sam Villaâmakes it a cinch.

· Brush hair in the ponytail thoroughly from the back towards the front of the fringe area.

· Wrap the length of the ponytail around the bungee with the ends facing towards the back and tuck them into the bun. Use large hairpins to secure the shape by pinning directly into the bungee close to the scalp.

· Finish with Redken control addict 28 for hold.

Hot Tips:

· Very long hair will create a very big bun with great volume. Fine or medium length hair may need a foundation form to give the same illusion.

· If hair is layered and does not smooth around the entire bun, go with it, make it a messy, casual, big bun.

Other tips and techniques can be found on http://www.samvilla.com/how-to/. Sam Villa is Founding Partner of the Sam Villa® brand, Education Artistic Director for Redken 5th Avenue and Stylist Choice Award Winner for Favorite Platform Artist and Educator (2012, 2011 and 2007). He is the pro that teaches the pros how to do hair. Check out his new consumer website (www.samvilla.com) for hot tips, tricks and techniques for achieving professional results at home, including professional recommendations for the tools needed to recreate the looks – Sam VillaSignature Series brushes, combs, thermal tools and blow dryers. Facebook: SamVillaBrand; Youtube: SamVillaHair; Twitter: @samvilla; Pinterest: SamVillaHair; Instagram: @SamVillaHair + #SamVillaHowTo.

Keeping up with the times is hard enough to do with fashion alone, but add to that the chic factor of the newest technology and you’re hard-pressed to turn heads on the street. To aid you in your search for that attention-grabbing look by smartphone alone, take a look at the newest flagships, decide which is right for you, and dress it up!

Staying up to date with tech times is admittedly difficult. You never know who to trust when reading opinion pieces, and your friends certainly (most likely) don’t know what’s right for you in the smartphone department. Check out these important specs on the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S5 and decide which of these two powerhouses best fits your mobile needs.

iPhone 5S

For those who love the slick and efficient look, the iPhone 5S is great for you. The 4″ screen is easily held in one hand and makes typing and taking pictures simple, whether held in portrait or landscape orientation. With a display showing at 640×1136 pixels with a pixel density of 326 and IPS LCD technology, much more than your app icons will look simply amazing.

The camera is a huge consideration on any current smartphone. With the iPhone 5S, you’ll get great photos with the iSight 8MP rear-facing camera, which takes pictures with a dual LED flash and boasts amazing image stabilization for those pesky in-motion photos, auto-focus and tap-to-focus capabilities, and finally Burst Mode, taking up to 10 pictures per second so you can choose which was actually the best without having to re-pose for every “I don’t like that! Delete it!” How better to stay streamlined and productive than with the iPhone 5S? There’s probably not a better way until the iPhone 6 debuts.

For the lover of a little more gaud and hand-feel, the Galaxy S5 has a lot to offer. With a 5.1″ display powered by AMOLED technology and a resolution of 1080×1920 with a pixel density of about 432, again your photos will be vibrant and well-snapped with the GS5.

The GS5’s rear-facing camera is 16MP technology equipped with phase detection autofocus and tap-to-focus capabilities. One may also opt to manually focus the camera on this flagship, for those wanting a more professional edge. Add to that the 2.1 MP front-facing camera and you’re in serious selfie business!

A major current consideration when deciding on a new smartphone now includes the health technology available to any model. With peripherals on the rise in all areas, most technologies allow for dual purposes in the health and fitness arena. For the GS5 specifically, the on-board heart rate monitor and S Health Partner couple well together. Verizon Wireless reports that the phone is capable of “…track[ing] your steps [and challenging friends to] earn badges and get on‚Äìdemand healthy eating advice.” What better way to boost your style and health than with the Galaxy S5 as your current smartphone partner? Honestly, that’s a tough question.

Now that you’ve hopefully found a smartphone that works for you, it’s time to take a look at how best to deck that phone out for street time with an amazing phone case! As The New York Times shows, there are a lot of criteria to consider when looking to protect and glam up your new smartphone. Remember these tips when decking out your new best friend.

Access to Controls

Just because you may have found the most chic or cute case for your smartphone, don’t confuse looks with functionality. Answer truthfully: do you really want a case that doesn’t let you return to your home screen or lock your screen at all? Waiting for auto-lock and having to remove your case to return home might make you second guess trapping your phone inside that all-protective case.

Screen Protection?

If you find a case that comes with screen protection for your touch-screen phone, advice goes against the buy. There is no guarantee you’ll find the protection compatible with your screen, so it’s definitely a much better idea to purchase a good-looking case that keeps your screen open and then attach a screen protector compatible with touchscreen devices.

Overdo It!

While most phone cases when meant for protection are just plain huge and seem to double the size of your phone, there’s definitely a counter-measure: overdo it. If the thing’s already huge, why not use some adhesives and stickers to further exhibit your own style above that intrusively big safety case?